Hay-loader.



PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

El. COX.

HAY LOADBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2a, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: 0 0x INVENTOH PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

, E. COX.

HAY LOADER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIZS, 1904. no MODEL. a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Jag. 2.

w/r/vsssgs; U/X INVENTOR No. 773,278. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904. E. 00X.

HAY LOADER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1904.

% Q 6 m INVENTOH I BYKM3A%W Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER COX, OF COLUMBIA CITY, INDIANA.

HAY-LOADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,278, dated October25, 1904.

Application filed May 23, 1904. Serial No. 209,150. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELMER Cox, acitizen of the United States, residingat Columbia City, in the county of WVhitley, in the State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Loaders; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hay-loaders.

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple, convenient,and efiicient hay-loader or loading attachment for a haywagon adapted tobe operated or driven from the supporting ground-Wheels and adapted todeliver the hay from the ground to the top of the load at the rear endof the wagon upon which it is loaded and provided with a novelarrangement of adjustable side rakes having automatically-operated meansfor keeping the said rakes free from hay in use.

My invention consists of a forwardly-inclined carrier-frame rigidlyfixed 'on a twowheeled truck adapted to be pivotally connected to therear end of a hay-wagon, a drum rigidly fixed on a rotatable shaftarranged directly in the rear of the said driving-shaft and providedupon its ends with fixed sprocketteeth adapted to actuate the carrierbelt, means for actuating the drum-shaft from the said driving-shaft, aguide-frame on the carrier-frame and spaced in substantially parallelrelation with its upper face, a traveling carrier-belt mounted on thesaid sprocketdrum from which it is actuated and passing over a series ofsprocket-wheels on the carrier-frame and consisting of a pair of chainsconnected by a series of spaced cross-bars provided with means forsecuring the hay upon the carrier and with means for aiding itsdischarge therefrom, a rake pivotally suspended from the rear end of thecarrier-frame and provided with means for securing the same in anydesired vertical adjustment, a pair of adjustable lateral oblique rakesadapted to feed the hay to the traveling carrier, means forautomatically discharging the hay from the said oblique rakes to preventan obstructing accumulation of hay thereon in use, and means foryieldingly holding the hay on the ascending carrier.

The principal novel features of my present invention are the improvedmeans for feeding the hay to the carrier from an area wider than themachine, means for keeping the feeding means free of obstruction in use,and means for yieldingly holding the hay on the ascending carrier.

In the? accompanyingdrawings similar reference-numerals indicate likeparts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my invention with one ground-wheel omitted and showing theupper end of the carrier, partly cutaway. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ofthe machine, showing the relative arrangement of the operative parts.Fig. 3 is a plan of the truck and side rakes, showing the relativearrangement of the means for keeping these rakes free from hay in use.

The ground-Wheels 1, of proper size, are mounted on the rotatable axle2, carrying at or near one end thereof a fixed sprocketwheel 3.

In suitable bearings at the rear of the driving-axle 2 is rotatablymounted a shaft 4, carrying a fixed drum 4, provided at its oppositeends with the peripheral sprocket-teeth 5, the said shaft having uponone extended end a rigid sprocket-wheel 6, adapted to be actuated fromthe driving-shaft by means of the sprocket-chain 20, connecting it withthe said sprocket-wheel 3. On this axle 2 is fixed a horizontal frame 6,to the rear side of which is fixed the forwardly-inclined frame 6 havingopposite upright sides 7, to which are fixed the upright standards 8, towhich are fixed the cross-piece 9 and to which are fixed the forward endof the parallel bars 12, which are arranged sufficiently close togetherto aid in retaining the ascending hay upon the traveling carrier. Theframe 6 is rigidly supported on each side by the upright posts 13 and14:, Fig. 1. In suitable supports at the upper end of the frame 6 isrotatably mounted the horizontal transverse shaft 15, carrying upon itsopposite ends the rigid sprocketwheels 16. In one post, 1 1, is looselymounted a stud-shaft 18, carrying upon its inner end a rigidsprocket-wheel 17, adapted to be actuated by one of the carriersbelt-chains 5.

An endless flexible carrier, having a sprocket-chain 5 at each sidethereof, is loosely mounted on the drum 4, and one of these chains thenactuates the sprocket-wheel 17. The chains 5 pass over thesprocket-wheels 16, which are rigid on the ends of the shaft, all ofwhich sprocket-wheels are in engagement with the respective chains 5.This carrier has a series of transverse bars 19 in parallel arrangementand secured at each end to the respective chains 5.

Each of the bars 12 at or near its forward end has a fixed pin 27, whichpasses loosely through a suitable opening in the transverse bar 9 andhas a rigid weight 29 on its upper free end adapted to press the bars 12down to engage the ascending hay on the carrier. To the rear face of thebar 9 are fixed a series of antifriction-rollers 28, against which therespective pins 27 impinge, and thereby obviate all tendency to bindingin use.

On the standards 10 is pivotally suspended the transverse rear rake-beam11, to which is rigidly fixed an upright hand-lever, to which ispivotally connected the rear end of the forwardly-projecting arm 22,whose forward end is provided upon its lower face with a series ofnotches adapted to form a holding engagement with the pin 23 in the side7 of the carrier-frame and is adapted to secure the rear rake,consisting of the beam 11 and the curved teeth 25, at any desiredadjustment, Fig. 1.

To the lower end of each bar 12 is rigidly secured the forward end ofthe spring-steel loops 26, which passes around the beam 11, and therebylimits the play or adjustment of the lower end of the bar 12 in bothdirections in use.

At the front end of the frame 6 and at the opposite sides thereof arefixed the pendent hangers or standards 30, Fig. 1, whose lower ends arepivotally connected to the inner ends of the bars 31, whose outer endsare supported by the swiveled wheels 32, respectively. To the rear faceof the bars 31 are fixed a series of proper rake-teeth 31.

To the forward end of the frame 6 and midway of its ends are rigidlyfixed the parallel bars 33, between which is slidably mounted anextension-bar 34:, provided upon its forward end with a clevis-likeconnection 35.

The bars 31 of the forward rakes, which in use are arranged in anoblique position, as shown, are pivotally connected to the respectivebars 33 by means of the rods 36, whereby when the invention is not inuse or is being hauled to or from the field the forward rakes can bereadily elevated into substantially a vertical position and secured insuch position by engaging the hooks 37 on the stardards 13 with thestaples 38 on the bars 31.

The beam 31 has near its ends a pair of rearwardly-projecting arms39, inwhose outer ends is rotatably mounted a rocking rod 40, provided with aseries of pendent pins 11 in cooperative arrangement with the saidadjacent oblique rakes. The inner end of this red 10 has a rigid crank12, which is pivotally connected to an eccentric-pin 13 on the adjacentend of the shaft 18 by means of the rod 4 1, adapted to actuate themeans for keeping the side rakes free of hay in use and consisting ofthe rock-rod 40 and the teeth or pins 11.

The operation of my invention thus described is obvious and, brieflystated, is as follows: The forward movement of the groundwheels willactuate the drum 1 through the medium of the sprocket-wheels 3 and 6 andthe connecting-chain 20, thereby so actuating the carrier as to elevatethe hay, which is delivered to it by the rear rake in the usual manner.The oblique side rakes gather the hay and feed it rearwardly to the rearrake. The movement of the traveling carrier actuates the rocking rod orlever 40 through the medium of the wheel 17 and the rod 4.4, therebykeeping the side rakes free from any undue accumulation of hay in use.The weighted pin 27 and the spring-steel loop 26 permit a limited playof the bar 12, which hold the ascending hay in position upon thecarrier, from which it is delivered to the wagon, with which my machineis connected in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of employing the same,what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a hay-loader, atruck having an upright inclined carrier-frame; a rotatabledrum mountedon the truck-frame in the rear of the driving-axle and adapted to beactuated there by; a traveling carrier-belt mounted on said frame andsaid drum; means for yieldingly holding the hay upon the carrier-belt; apivotally-mounted rake arranged at the rear of the truck and providedwith means for adjusting the same; a pair of rakes in obliquearrangement in front of the truck and adapted to aid in delivering thehay to the rear rake; and means for automatically keeping the side rakesfree from an accumulation of hay in use.

2-. A truck having an oblique carrier-frame and a rigid sprocket-Wheelon the axle; a retatable drum mounted on the truck-frame at the rear ofthe axle, and provided with a driving connection therewith; acarrier-belt mounted on said frame and said drum; means for yieldinglypressing the ascending hay to its engagement with the carrier-belt; apivoted rear rake and means for adjusting the same; a pair of obliquerakes arranged in TOO front of the truck and pivotally connectedtherewith; means for keeping the said oblique rakes free of hayconsisting of a rocking bar arranged in the rear thereof and having aseries of pendent pins in cooperative relation therewith; and means forautomatically actuating the said rocking bar.

3. In a hay-loader a truck; an inclined carrier-frame fixed on thetruck; a carrier-belt mounted on said frame; means for actuating thesaid belt; means for yieldingly holding the hay upon the carrier-belt,consisting of a series of longitudinal strips arranged above the beltand in cooperative relation therewith, having their upper end providedwith a weighted pin loosely mounted in a suitable support, and havingtheir lower ends provided with spring-loops as described, adapted tolimit the vertical play thereof; a rake arranged in cooperative relationwith the lower end of said belt and said strips; and means for securingthe said rake in any desired vertical adjustment.

4. In a hay-loader a pair of pivotallymounted rakes in obliquearrangement and in front of the machine, adapted to direct the haytoward the center of the machine in position to be acted upon thereby;and means for automatically disengaging the hay from the rakes,consisting of a rocking bar arranged adjacent to the rear face of therakes and provided with a series of pendent pins or teeth, and means forautomatically rocking the said bar for purpose specified.

Signed by me at Columbia City, WVhitley county, State of Indiana, this18th day of May, 1904:.

ELMER COX.

Witnesses:

WVILLIAu H. KIssINGER, OTTO E. GRANT.

